Policy on sudden cardiac death essential: expert

Every year 12-lakh people die due to sudden cardiac arrest in India and the government must come out with a policy to deal with it, said Dr Sumeet Chugh, a prominent cardiologist from the US.

Hailing from Chandigarh, Dr Chugh works as a professor of cardiology in the Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, US.

He said even a large number of lives, which we lose due to sudden cardiac arrest, could be saved with public participation with the use of simple methods like cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

"It helps maintain the circulation of blood and preserve brain functioning," he added.

Dr Chugh said on similar lines a programme was introduced in Denmark in which common people were taught how to do CPR. "It is bystander, who first notices somebody suffering from heart attack and can intervene. The results are tremendous. Today the entire world is discussing the results. The cardiac arrest survival has tripled since then," he added.

He said, "The Indian government must start public awareness programmes on the lines of Denmark. The scene in India is very grim when it comes to sudden cardiac death. There are 12-lakh people who die due to sudden cardiac arrest every year. Most of these are between the age of 35 to 60, which is the most productive age group."

He said the people dying this way had serious social and economic implications also. "Back in the US, we also have similar programmes, which are extremely helpful," he said.